Themes

The Archive

King, Martin Luther

b. 1889 - d. 1984

Martin Luther King Sr. was born Michael King in Stockbridge, Georgia. In 1918, he moved to Atlanta and boarded with A. D. Williams, the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Williams encouraged King’s education. King earned a theology degree from Morehouse College and married Williams’ eldest daughter, Alberta. They had three children; Michael Luther Jr. was born in 1929. In 1931, King succeeded his father-in-law as pastor of Ebenezer. King Sr. led efforts to register African American voters and to equalize the pay of African American teachers. Inspired by a visit to Germany, he changed his and his son’s name to Martin Luther in honor of the Protestant reformer. King Sr., affectionately known as Daddy King, was a mentor to many in the movement. He survived his wife, shot while playing the organ at Ebenezer Church in 1974; a son, A. D., preacher and civil rights activist, who drowned in 1969; and Martin Jr., on whose behalf he accepted numerous awards before his own death in 1984.

Reverend Rosamond Kay, Jr. invites Dr. King to speak at Morning Star Baptist Church in Pennsylvania. He also informs Dr. King he is a 1939 graduate of Morehouse College, and their fathers are life-long friends.

Fifteen year old Shinichi Oshima of Japan, writes Dr. King expressing his admiration and appreciation for the movement and the black man. He also discusses his religious views and his desire to help black men in Africa.

Mrs. Arlen Fuhlendorkr writes to Rev. King Sr., expressing deep sympathy for the death of Dr. King. She also wanted to convey to Rev. King that he should be proud of the great work his son did for humanity.

King writes this endorsement of Septima Clark's autobiography"Echo In My Soul," which captured her struggle as a Negro woman in the South. Clark was a prominent civil rights activist considered to be the "Grandmother of the American Civil Rights Movement."

Dr. King addresses the attendees at the NAACP 48th Annual Convention in Detroit, Michigan. He acknowledges the noble men and women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott Movement, for which his leadership earned him this award. Dr. King also discusses the ongoing struggle for civil rights and the nonviolent approach needed for the American Negro to win freedom and justice.

Dr. King outlines his address for the January 27, 1965 recognition dinner honoring him for the Nobel Peace Prize. He intends to speak on topics of racial justice, nonviolence and poverty, while discussing the strides made by the movement and the uphill battles still to be faced. Over 1000 people attended the program, the first integrated dinner in Atlanta's history.

The manager of Preferred Risk Mutual Auto, D.G. Witt, sends an insurance renewal request to Dr. King with policies and surcharge information. He explains that the companies decision to renew his policy was one of deep consideration due to the numerous car accidents during Dr. King's policy with the company.

In his acceptance speech for the Spingarn Medal, Dr. King remarks about the need for continuing the fight for social justice and equality around the world. He acknowledges the work of NAACP along with protesters as they continue to be on the frontline in addressing the nation's social ills.

Dr. King addressed this letter to Mr. Frank Abrams, as an expression of thanks, in response for his well wishes. As a another gesture of thanks, Dr. King indicated that he also enclosed a copy of his first book "Stride Toward Freedom."

This mail log exemplifies the large quantity of correspondence that the SCLC received daily, as well as the method that they devised to deal with it. The mail log for this day shows a variety of types of correspondence, including invitations, invoices, contributions, and personal letters from friends and colleagues.

In this proposal for an Atlanta based housing project for low income families, the terms and conditions are drawn out amongst all organizations involved. These consist of Ebenezer Baptist Charitable Foundation, the Federal Housing Insuring Office, the Housing Authority, the Federal National Mortgage Association, Mauldower and Paterson, Joe Robinson and James S. Robinson. Additionally, Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. and Jr. are described in a brief biography as reference to the leadership involved in the undertaking.

This pamphlet, published by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, is a transcript of an address delivered by Dr. King titled "The Civil Rights Struggle in the United States Today." In his first speech before the organization, Dr. King recounts the history of the global civil rights movement.